Kevin Wendle, the visionary founder of Hotel Esencia, hosted an intimate dinner at Beefbar New York to celebrate two recent honors for the hotel: receiving 3 MICHELIN Keys and being named one of the World’s 50 Best Hotels for the second consecutive year. 

Close friends, industry leaders, and notable press enjoyed handcrafted specialty cocktails followed by a curated dinner menu featuring signature Beefbar dishes including Wagyu Bolognese and bone-in ribeye, offering a glimpse of the flavors found at Hotel Esencia’s own Beefbar—the exclusive location in Mexico. Before dinner, Kevin Wendle welcomed guests with a heartfelt toast, expressing his gratitude for their continued support and the hotel’s ongoing success.

“This has been a truly momentous year for Hotel Esencia, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible support of our team and the guests who make it all happen. Tonight, we celebrate them as much as we celebrate these honors,” Wendle remarked.

The celebratory evening concluded with guests singing “Happy Birthday” to Kevin, who blew out the candles on his favorite New York City cheesecake, marking a special birthday celebration to close out the night.

Notable attendees included: Antoni Porowski, Tina Leung, Linda Fargo, Roopal Patel, Zani Gugelmann, Nell Rebowe, Gustavo Rangel, Jane Keltner de Valle, Giancarlo de Valle, Alejandra Alonso Rojas, Edward Barsamian, Sharon Horowitz, Harrison Vale, Lisa Aiken, Elisa Lipsky-Karasz, Pilar Guzman, Yolanda Edwards, and many more.

Image credit: Zach Hilty/BFA